Depression is a state of mind where you constantly feel low in life. According to Martin Seligman, people who have depression have what is known as ‘learned helplessness’. In other words, they feel they cannot get out of the depressed mood they are feeling at that moment. Furthermore, they feel like no one in this world can help them at all. However, this is wrong and even people with major depression can come out of it & lead happy lives. The article is a complete guide on how to overcome depression. Firstly, how to come of depression. Secondly, how to deal with depression. Thirdly, how to cure depression. Lastly, how to fight depression is all covered.
Moreover, having intense mood swings, & disturbed sleep (excessive sleeping, or no sleep at all). Secondly, loss of appetite, losing interest in activities that you once enjoyed are a few symptoms of depression. However, these symptoms vary from individual to individual.
Key to cure Depression – Vital aspect in the ways to overcome depression
Depression is the downward spiral of emotions leading to excessive negative emotions & thoughts. In addition to that, hopelessness and constant sadness in life. Depression is of 3 types. Firstly, mild, secondly, moderate & lastly, major depression. One of the most effective ways to overcome depression is by seeking help. Moreover, therapy or counseling is beneficial that inculcates positive emotions & practices in the daily life of the individual. Furthermore, counseling guides the individual to deal with depression & how to fight depression and come out of it soon.
Therapy – Seeking professional help
Therapy from a recognized therapist is indeed one of the best ways of curing depression. There are various counselors who provide counseling & therapy. But, make sure you choose an RCI licensed psychotherapist or a counselor with enough experience in the respective field.
Various therapies used by many all over the world. A few most used therapies are below.
Cognitive Behavior Therapy ( CBT)
CBT therapy mainly focuses on the cognitive (thought processes) aspect of an individual & helps to deal with depression. Furthermore, focusing on negative thought patterns and how to alter it. Moreover, it also focuses on current problems’, thoughts, and how to tackle them. Breaking down your problems & analyzing each one is key in this therapy. One of the most renowned therapies used to cure depression is CBT.
Several therapists use this method as it focuses on the thoughts & cognition. In other words, our thoughts, behavior & what we feel are all interconnected with our thought processes. Our behavior is reflected in negative thoughts. CBT helps us alter this behavior.
Rational Emotive Behavior Therapy ( REBT )
Albert Ellis gave this therapy. Furthermore, REBT mainly focuses on changing the irrational beliefs of an individual. Therefore, this helps gain insight as well as change the behavior of the individual.
REBT mainly focuses on the ABC model.
- A – Activating event. The situation that triggers a particular emotion. For instance, let us take a hypothetical person called Riya. Riya’s serious relationship ended recently. Moreover, she is feeling miserable and has mild symptoms of depression.
- B – Belief. The thoughts and beliefs you hold regarding the activating event. For instance, in Riya’s situation, she considers herself to be the one at fault. ( Whereas in reality, it could be something totally different)
- C – Consequence. The emotional reaction and how you would feel about the situation overall. For instance, Riya feels it’s her mistake for the breakup. She considers herself to be bad at maintaining relations with anyone, as she has failed at this.
This is an example of the ABC model which the REBT therapists make them understand. Moreover, how we perceive a situation can trigger our feeling about it. Riya blames herself for the breakup, maybe even after trying her best to make it work out. Her experiencing the downward spiral of emotions could be due to her belief that she is at fault. When you believe that something is your mistake and do not look at other aspects involved in it.
Therefore, REBT therapists focus on the ABC model along with getting rid of irrational beliefs. Afterall, resulting in a change in behavior due to the change in beliefs. REBT is another therapy technique that helps fight depression.
Group Therapy – Effective Ways to overcome Depression
As the name suggests group therapy is basically many individuals suffering from the same/ similar disorders coming together sharing what they are feeling.
Group therapy can be very effective when trying to fight & overcome depression. Moreover, individuals diagnosed with a few symptoms often feel that they are the only ones in the world feeling like this. When they meet others who are in the same boat as them, groups often a support system where each one knows what the other is feeling.
The two main goals of group therapy are process goals & outcome goals. Firstly. Process goals are basically those that are personal goals. Accomplished by relating to others in the same group. Secondly, outcome goals are more focused on changing behavior by participating in group activities. Furthermore, group therapy is a starting point for socialization and making friends. Gradually, a sense of belongingness comes. Group therapy helps fight depression together as well as faster.
Psychoanalysis & Psychodynamic therapies – Sigmund Freud.
Psychoanalysis is a process where a trained psychological professional helps a person gain insights into & change his/ her behavior. This therapy is based on the work and analysis of Sigmund Freud. This therapy mainly focuses on the analysis of suppressed emotions in the unconscious mind. Individuals undergoing this therapy often explore what is actually irritating them or the causes of their behavior which they had not realized in a conscious manner previously.
Several Other Therapies
Other therapies used are as follows. Transactional Analysis, Interpersonal Therapy, Behavioral Therapy, Eye Movement Desensitization, and Reprocessing (EMDR), Mindfulness-based cognitive therapy (MBCT), and many more.
Seeking Social Support – helps & guides you on the ways to overcome Depression
Being around people time and again feels good. Introverts would not agree with this, but it is important for each and every human being to socialize. Furthermore, in difficult times many of us have our family by our side, who are there for us through thick & thin. Friends also play an important role in your support system. Due to them being the same age as you, they will understand and might be able to help you too. When you are surrounded by people who care for you, it directly helps you overcome depression.
When you share what you are feeling it makes you feel light and much more relieved. Sharing and asking for help doesn’t make you vulnerable and is not a sign of weakness. Each and everyone feels miserable or sad at some point of time in their life.
Secondly, closely connected people constantly keep a check on you. In addition to that, they try to make you feel light and will make you realize that they are there for you no matter what. Furthermore, once in a while dinner with family, movie nights with friends are essential to get rid of the monotonous daily schedule. Social support plays a vital role to deal with depression.
Click here for the Myths & facts of Mental Health that indeed need to be busted.
Different ways to tackle with Depression.
Depression can come in many forms to various people. Therefore, to some, it can come through sleepless nights and constant sadness. On the other hand to some, it can come through the loss of interest in activities, loss of appetite, and vigorous mood swings. Here are a few easy daily ways to overcome depression.
Exercise
Keeping the body active by doing physical exercise is vital. Firstly, motivation for exercise will make you follow a disciplined routine on a day to day basis. Exercising in any form is beneficial. If you enjoy doing cardio, Zumba with your favorite songs would be fun with a sense of enjoying. Secondly, for some exercising gets a feeling of pumped energy, to make the day productive. Moreover, in my opinion, people who exercise look forward to the day to day goals ( even more optimistic) and are more focused on using their time efficiently. Exercise is one of the most important aspects of ways to overcome depression.
On the other hand, meditation is also another form and ways to overcome depression & how to deal with depression. The mental state that meditation brings you is calming, soothing as well as relaxing. Meditation is the form of paying attention to thoughts and blocking negative thoughts & affect in any form. Deep breathing and sitting in silence is also a very effective way of relaxing your body. There are many kinds of researches conducted for Depression. They prove that meditation decreases the symptoms of depression.
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Eat right, Sleep Tight
One of the ways to overcome depression is to eating the right food. In other words, being healthy with proper nutritional intake. Eating in small quantities throughout the day is considered the best. Due to this, energy is maintained all day, and over-eating in one meal will not make you feel bloaty too. Secondly, this also results in decreased mood swings. Fatty food and sugar-loaded food are definitely tempting, but should only be eaten occasionally. Foods that are rich in omega-3 fatty acids ( salmon & tuna) and secondly, food with the content of folic acid ( spinach, avocado, citrus foods) play a huge role in decreasing depression-related symptoms. Indirectly eating healthy helps you deal, cure & fight depression.
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One of the symptoms that people with depression go through is too little sleep or sometimes too much sleep. Sleep is vital in regulating a person’s mood. In general, people are irritated in the mornings when they haven’t had good sleep at night. Sleep deprivation can result in moodiness, extreme irritability & fatigue ( in other words, getting tired easily). Each and every person should aim to get at least 7-8 hours of sleep each night.
Set short term goals
Many of us have heard the phrases of where we see ourselves in the next five or ten years. We all know what we want to be in the next ten years. But, some of us fail to realize that to attain that long term goal, we need to make short term goals that are attainable.
The phase of sadness and depression hits individuals when there is an obstruction in attaining a goal in regard to their career, relation, or any other aspect. The obstructions faced are unexpected. And, therefore, the lows result in a downward spiral of emotions. Short term goals structure of achievement is a good way to deal, cure & fight depression.
When you set short term goals that can be attained faster, there are two advantages. Firstly, there is a sense of achievement and you are capable of achieving even your long term goal. Secondly, your self-confidence & self-esteem both increase. Furthermore, after achieving the short term goals you feel positive & you are pumped with energy to achieve your next goal with the same enthusiasm. This is one of the best ways to overcome depression. Moreover, convenient and easy to accommodate in your day to day schedule which a key aspect of how to fight & cure depression.
Be Busy! Try out new things & volunteer.
Being busy is really beneficial as it does not allow your mind to wander & overthink any situation. When you are sad, the same negative thoughts keep coming. Furthermore, overthinking and making scenarios in the head result in negative thoughts. You get rid of these thoughts by becoming busy. Moreover, being busy doesn’t mean you have to study, work, or do something really worthwhile.
Engaging in your hobby, playing a sport, watching comedy shows is also a part of being busy. Keeping yourself on the move with something or the other has an advantage. Firstly, you are using time wisely. Secondly, you are trying to enjoy things for which you didn’t have time before. This is an easy & convenient way to deal with depression.
Trying out something new just has another thrill added to it. Each and every one of us has something or the other thing in our bucket list. Venturing for something new will get you excited. Every time you are planning on working on your new task at hand, you should have the same enthusiasm. For instance, it can be a pottery class you always wanted to join, going for a picnic with your closest friends, giving a try to self-defense, learning music, painting or dance and many more things.
Volunteering or being altruistic gives a sense of satisfaction. It helps you deal with depression effectively. When you indulge in volunteering you make someone smile or even make someone’s day. Negative emotions & thoughts get replaced with positive ones. In addition to that, volunteering is another way to get rid of the overthinking of the same topics which are in your head. Furthermore, going outside, meeting people and socializing a bit, will definitely make you feel better.
Conclusion
Hope you have received some useful information related to how to deal, cure & fight depression. The convenient ways which can be inculcated to cure as well as fight depression. Depression is something that one should not be shameful of. Being vulnerable is completely fine. Furthermore, talking & sharing your negatives in life with someone is also completely fine, it should never be considered something wrong. Facing the negatives with courage that lead to depression will help you furthermore overcome depression.
The American Psychological Association (Official Website) has varied knowledge regarding depression and how it affects individuals across the globe. Certainly, there will be articles and research papers published related to depression.
FAQ Regarding How to overcome Depression
Depression is a mood disorder characterized by extreme mood swings, feeling sad, withdrawal from being social, loss of interest in activities that they once enjoyed, loss of appetite, suicidal thoughts, insomnia or hypersomnia. Depression is basically a state of mind which majorly negative thoughts, isolation from the world, mood swings as well as irritability.
There are several reasons for depression. Namely, traumatic experiences ( physical or sexual abuse, loss of a close one, major events of life( loss in business, financial crisis & many more), serious illness ( for which there is no cure) and lastly personal problems( that have high intensity & have been prolonged for long duration).
A mental breakdown is characterized by intense distress that affects (disturbs) various aspects of your life. Other symptoms namely, anxiety, fear & stress, and a feeling that you are not able to cope with what you are feeling at that moment. Extreme mood swings and insomnia are also symptoms seen in a few individuals.
Editor’s Note | Ways to overcome Depression
Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, mental health has deteriorated immensely all over the world. The pandemic has changed lives drastically. Jobs, businesses & work were completely stopped. This led to economies crashing globally. This phase of lockdown and the COVID-19 has affected mental health. The financial crisis and unavailability of jobs have gotten the younger generation worried. Symptoms of depression might be diagnosed in many as the pandemic has just turned our lives upside down. One must not panic in situations like these. Spending quality time with family & getting the time to engage in long-lost hobbies has been a boon in the lockdown. Staying positive, taking precautions & being safe should be the top priority. This is just a phase & it’s going to pass by soon.
